Businesses of Vassar, Tuscola County, Michigan

Copyright © 1998 by Bonnie Petee. This copy contributed for use in 
the USGenWeb Archives.  

 

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Taken from The History of Tuscola County, Biographical Sketches and 
Illustrations, H. R. Page Co., Chicago, 1883. Thanks to Bonnie Petee.


Village Of Wahjamega

This is an unincorporated village on the Caro branch of the Detroit and Bay City R. R., in the 
town of Indian Fields.  More particularly its location is described as being in the northeast 
quarter of section 19 and northwest quarter of section 20, township 12 north, range 9 east.  It 
had its origin in the lumbering operations of Heartt and Stuck, and dates back to the building 
of their mill in 1853, as already mentioned in connection with the early settlement of Indian 
Fields.

Mr. Heartt came to Wahjamega first in June, 1852, when this section was literally a howling 
wilderness, but did not locate there until in the same month of the following year.  At that 
time he formed a partnership with Charles Stuck, who had partially improved a favorable site for 
a water mill, and some 1,500 acres of pine land were purchased as a basis for a lumbering 
business.  Mr. Heartt had been ten years in business at Ypsilanti, and on converting his 
property into cash found that he had $4,000, and that amount was the foundation of his present 
fortune.  The partnership lasted but two years, Mr. Heartt succeeding to the business.  At that 
time there were no defined roads leading from Vassar to that place, and ordinarily an entire day 
was consumed in covering the thirteen miles with a loaded wagon.  An ax and chain were a part of 
every wagon equipment, as very often it was necessary to cut out a new road owing to 
obstructions, and very often the teamster had to remain over night by the roadside.

The tract of land purchased at the outset was mostly timbered with pine, and Mr. Heartt for 
years had little idea of ever making agricultural use of any considerable portion of it, as the 
soil was rather forbidding.  The milling operations in the course of time removed the pine, and 
about eleven years ago he turned his attention to agriculture and stock raising with marked 
success.  The water mill has two upright saws, and up to the time of the great financial 
revulsion the lumber was rafted to Saginaw and sold.  After that period Mr. Heartt did not 
consider the business very profitable and suspended rafting operations.  The products of the 
mill now find a ready market at home.

Sixteen years ago Mr. Heartt commenced farming on a small scale, but in 1872 he made it a 
business. At that time he had quite a large clearing about the mill, but it was heavily stumped 
with pine stumps, and since that he has thoroughly stumped upward of 300 acres, and at present 
has 600 acres of what may be termed plow land.

He established the first store in this section in 1853 and has continued it up to the present 
time.  In 1859 he converted a portion of his saw-mill into grist-mill.

The postoffice was established about the year 1859 with William A. Heartt as postmaster, which 
office he has held ever since.

The chief peculiarity of this place is its name, which is coined from the initials of the names 
of six members of the Heartt family: "Wah" of William A. Heartt, "J", of Josiah, "A" of Alonzo, 
"M" of Margaret, "E" of Eliza, "G" of George and "A" of Amelia.  The object of framing and 
adopting this unique name was to obtain such a definite and distinctive title as would preclude 
any reasonable probability of confusion of mails.

During the memorable county seat controversy which lasted from June 1860 until April, 1865, 
this place was a candidate for its location and was several times designated by the board of 
Supervisors.  Having in view the possibility of sometime becoming the capital of the county, 
Mr. Heartt in March, 1864, made and platted a village.  The county seat went to Caro; and 
Wahjamega, in common with the other unsuccessful candidates, was left to view from afar the 
coveted prize.

In 1878 it became a station on the Caro branch of the Detroit & Bay City R. R.  The business 
of the place is continued principally to the various business enterprises of Mr. Heartt.

WILLIAM A. HEARTT was born at Troy, State of New York, in the year 1822, and lived there until 
eighteen years of age.  He then removed to Detroit and was clerk in a general store for about 
three years.  From there he went to Ypsilanti and engaged in the mercantile business, which he 
continued ten years.  From there he came to Tuscola County, as already stated.  He was married 
in 1858 to Miss Martha B. Horton, of Ypsilanti, who was formerly of Whately, Mass.  Her parents 
removed to Michigan in the year 1836.  The father of Mr. Heartt settled in Michigan in Ypsilanti, 
in 1845, where he lived until his death, which occurred in 1868.

Mr. Heartt has been prominently identified with all the general interests and progress of 
Tuscola County for thirty years, and one of its most successful business men.  His landed 
interest in the count amounts to about 8,000 acres.







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